From a long time, Indian maritime affairs have always had a major influence from their British counterparts – mostly due to the long years of Imperialism and then partly due to the integrity of their maritime prowess and integrity.

In today’s day and age where yachting has become popular throughout the world, the British manage to influence India’s yachting mannerisms and regulations also…

Just as we boast of our Yachting Association of India, the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is the national governing body for watersports in the United Kingdom. Its involvement includes :-

* Sailing
* Windsurfing
* Motor cruising
* Sportsboats
* Personal watercraft
* Powerboat racing

The RYA is held in the highest regards and is considered the premier body for yachting in many countries off-shore, and soon it is bound to our shores with a lot of companies looking at the Indian waters to set-up RYA-enabled training, courses and certifications.

HISTORY

The RYA was founded in November, 1875. Its original name was the Yacht Racing Association (YRA). Its initial purpose was to standardise the rules of measurement to different racing yachts, so that boats of different classes could compete fairly against each other. The rules governing the measurement, are called the Portsmouth yardstick.

Membership at the time cost two guineas and was available to “former and present owners of racing yachts of and above 10 tonnes. Thames measurement and such other gentlemen as the committee may elect”.

Though efforts for membership availability to dinghies and other small craft were made in 1888, it wasn’t until 1921 that the YRA incorporated the independent Sailing Boat Association and the Boat Racing Association into its body.

In 1953 the YRA formally changed its name to the Royal Yachting Association (RYA).

The RYA set up a committee to govern its training activities in 1967. Seventy-two schools applied for RYA recognition in 1968. The British military took on board the RYA training scheme one year later, while the Yachtmaster Qualifications Panel was set up in 1971.

The RYA had its first involvement in the organisation of Olympic sailing in 1908 during the London Games. The race took place off the Isle of Wight in yachts. During the 1980s the RYA became the national body for windsurfing.

GOALS & POLICIES

* To increase participation in RYA driven activities.
* Increase boating numbers and time spent boating.
* To promote safety and bring the awareness to individuals and companies.
* To represent recreational boating rights and responsibilities.
* Establish the RYA as the upholder of boaters’ rights.
* To work with British and international organisations.
* To raise the standards of which their interests spread (see first paragraph), in the UK.
* To rank high, globally, and succeed at international competitions.

As an organisation, the RYA reaches out to recreational boat owners and crew with over 103,000 personal members. There are an estimated further 500,000 boat owners nationally who are members of RYA affiliated clubs and class associations. They undertake safeguarding boating by keeping at bay unnecessary bureaucracy and threats, on behalf of these members and affiliates in the UK and abroad.

It coordinates competition and/or development for all of the above at local, national and international level and is recognised by government as the negotiating body for these groups.

The RYA is Europe’s largest marine publisher selling over half a million of its own books per year, providing expert information on a full range of boating related subjects.

RYA Team GBR, the British sailing team, with Skandia Team GBR at its forefront, have positioned Britain as the most successful sailing nation in Olympic history and sailing as Britain’s current top-performing Olympic sport.

Their youth and junior participation and performance pathways are the envy of sports governing bodies the world over and provide the raw materials for UK’s successes in international competition.

The RYA’s Technical Department provides a range of advice and services to boat owners, builders and skippers, on matters as diverse as MCA coding, RCD compliance and issuing sail numbers and measurement certificates. The RYA is an EU Notified Body for the Recreational Craft Directive.

TRAINING

The RYA’s training schemes for powered and sailing craft provide the de-facto qualifications for skippers, instructors and water sports professionals worldwide. On average 185,000 people per year complete RYA training courses at our 2220 affiliated Training Centres in 20 countries.

Certified courses available are :-

1) Sail cruising – Best way to increase knowledge and confidence of sailing.

2) Motor cruising – Best way to increase knowledge and confidence of motor-yachting.

3) Powerboat – Certification for Power Boats of all sizes – for leisure or sport.

4) Dinghy, Multihull & Small Keelboats – Possibly the quickest and easiest way to learn to sail. These smaller boats are easy to handle, transport and launch – and best way to sail single-handedly.

5) Windsurfing – A special course called Fastfwd helps in picking the sport fast.

6) Personal Watercraft – A course aimed towards proficiency is Jet-Skiing.

7) Inland Waterways – The RYAs Inland Waterways Helmsmans Course is for anyone wanting to cruise the UKs inland waterways or Europes extensive network of lakes, rivers and canals. As the name implies, it deals specifically with the requirements of the inland boater, whether they be a narrow boat owner or cruiser enthusiast.
Navigation & Seamanship Theory – The RYAs navigation and seamanship theory courses are designed to help you unravel the mysteries of navigation, pilotage, passage planning and meteorology. They are great as stand alone courses, but also complement our various practical training courses.

9) Speicalist Short Courses – Some courses, such as the Marine Radio Short Range Certificate, are a pre-requisite for higher qualifications such as the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence.

10) RYA Worldwide – 20% of RYA’s trainees are trained outside UK in RYA’s centres worldwide.

11) Certificates of Competence – Myriad courses meant for different types of sea-men.

12) Certificate Translations – RYA enables you to convert or translate their certificates into more internationally accepted qualifications thanks to its own highest standards of training. This makes it simpler for their trainees to be accepted in various positions all over the world.

Most of the courses would eventually be available in India through its partners starting from the basic courses such as sailing, cruising and power-boating.

Read this blog for more information as it happens…

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